Consultant Business Model Framework
A guide for thinking about your consulting business

The Consultant Business Model Framework template was first presented at RPCN Consulting Boot Camps. It displays and helps you understand how the components of your business fit together to support your value proposition and strategy. Unlike the popular Business Model Canvas, the Framework’s elements and language relate closely to solo consultants. The Canvas is a one-page, randomized visual layout. The Framework uses an easy-to-follow, numerical-order visual layout to develop your Consultant Model.

NOTE: To conserve space in this article, I’ve included only the Framework content and not the visual layout.

First: Your Value Proposition

I suggest you write a short version of your Value Proposition before you use the Framework. Then, develop the Framework elements in the numerical sequence listed below. After your first Framework draft, consider revising your Value Proposition according to your Framework.

1. Consulting Service:
(What I do to fulfill clients’ needs and provide value)

2. Consulting Clients/Segments:
(Who do I help?)

3. My Value to Clients (Benefits):
(Client results due to my efforts. Always quantify)

4A. Marketing Methods:
(How I identify/reach/contact potential clients)

4B. Sales Methods:
(How I turn leads & prospects into clients)

5. Service Delivery Methods:
(How I apply my service to deliver client benefits)

6A. Consultant Revenue:
(How I make money, pricing options, etc.)

6B. Consultant Costs:
(My business expenses)

7. Solo Consultant’s Key People:
(Who helps me? Who do I depend on? Who’s on my team?)

8A. Personal Resources: (Consulting)
(Expertise, skills, and knowledge that enable the services I provide for my clients’ benefit)

8B. Personal Resources: (Entrepreneur)
(Expertise, skills, knowledge, etc. that I draw upon for my business benefit)

9A. Personal Benefits:
(What I gain from being a solo consultant, aside from profit)

9B. Personal Costs:
(Non-monetary costs to be a solo entrepreneur. Consider effects on personal life)

Now, use your Framework to think about your business:

• Analyze how the pieces fit together and support each other.
• Seek out areas needing improvement.
• When changing a key element, think about how it affects other areas of your Framework.
• Update your Framework as your business evolves.
• Build a new Framework when changing strategy or pivoting to a new direction.

—Bob Lurz

Photo credit: Image by yeven_popov on Freepik

Enhancing Human Capital^SM (EHC^SM) Lunch-n-Learn Updates

May 2023’s Lunch-n-Learn (L-n-L) Program

In last month’s L-n-L, Devin Floyd posed the question, "Do companies need managers or should they be replaced by leaders?" This was based on the concept that you manage projects; you manage things like budgets & timelines, but you don't manage people. You LEAD people.

We discussed the difference between the two and then discussed the responsibilities that are needed to run a productive team. The conclusion fell somewhere in the middle. There is still a need for someone to manage the team’s workload and the objectives along with the need for a strong leader as an example for the team members to follow. Every manager should have both management AND leadership skills. These attributes are missing in many of the current corporate environments and need to be improved as we move into the future.

Upcoming Lunch-n-Learn
Thursday June 15th at 11:30 am ET – “Building Trust THROUGH Trusting“
Facilitated by Dave Bassett

This month we will discuss how we gain trust from others and how we give trust to others. Is it just from being trustworthy or is there more to it than that?  Steven M.R. Covey would say that in order to gain trust from others we must first trust them.

We’ll discuss this and some other concepts from Mr. Covey’s latest book, Trust and Inspire.  We’ll try to focus on how consultants and those running microbusinesses can build trust and maintain trust with their associates and their customers/clients.

RPCN’s Enhancing Human Capital^SM Lunch-n-Learns are held [via Zoom] on the third Thursday of every month 11:30 am – 1:00 pm ET. Please join us for the next event FREE of charge. To get more information about EHC, please see https://RochesterConsultants.org/EHC , or email the EHC team at EHC@RochesterConsultants.org.

RPCN’s Work with Simon Vision Consulting Program

The Rochester Professional Consultants Network’s (RPCN) program of providing mentors to the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business (Simon) Simon Vision Consulting Program (Simon Vision) recently concluded our eleventh highly regarded semester.

Simon Vision had 16 clients this past semester and 16 client projects were accepted and successfully completed.  RPCN had 12 mentors supply assistance to all 16 projects as a few of our mentors helped with multiple teams rather than just one.  The project teams were able to meet with their clients in person and most of the project managers were able to meet with their RPCN mentors in person as well, although logistics kept the interactions for a couple of mentors and project teams virtual.  It’s tough to meet in person with a mentor or project manager that is on the other side of the country!

If you are unfamiliar with Simon Vision, the program is an effort to increase experiential learning opportunities for Simon’s MBA and MS students. It is a student-run program that usually has 4-5 student members per team. Each team typically provides consulting to a local small business for 8 - 12 weeks which is one semester. In the semester that follows, Simon sometimes has another student consulting team take over the next part of the project for the same company.

Participation in the program is voluntary for the students and is not part of the regular Simon curriculum. In addition to the RPCN mentors, there is a faculty adviser who helps the students run the program.

It’s never too early for us to look for mentors for the next semester and we are looking for people to help as mentors this Fall.  We’re expecting there to be 15-20 projects in total. We will need at least that many mentors to help out. If you’d like to become a mentor, please contact me (my contact information is at the end of this article).

We’re also looking for new projects for the Fall semester. If you, a client, or an associate have a well-defined project that could be outsourced, Simon Vision could be a great source to get your project completed. Projects are typically staffed with four to five Simon Vision consultants and a project manager. Ideally, projects in the Fall semester last about 10 – 12 weeks. The leadership of Simon Vision will work with you to define a project that can be successfully completed within these constraints.  If your project isn’t selected for inclusion in the Fall semester, don’t lose heart. It still could be accepted in the Spring semester.

The project can be any business problem and Simon Vision teams have successfully completed projects focused on marketing, business strategy, financial planning, operations, competitive analysis, and so on. Examples of completed projects include reviewing ways to decrease seasonal fluctuations in sales, developing a financial plan to solicit funding, and exploring new marketing channels. So, you can see that the projects can take on a wide variety of topics and the student teams work for FREE!

Projects are vetted by the Simon Vision student governing board.  For the Fall semester we expect to take a big project load, with a goal of 15 - 20 projects beginning in mid-September.

Watch the RPCN Event calendar for the new President of the Simon Vision, William Zoratto, to give a presentation about the upcoming semester sometime in August at one of our “Learn from the Best” Friday morning meetings.

If you are interested in having an SVC Project Team perform work for you, would like more information about the program, or if you’d like to volunteer to be an RPCN member mentor to a student team, please contact Dave Bassett at dbassett@basstat.com.

Member News

Dave Bassett to Participate in June Charity Hockey Game with Proceeds to Benefit the Fight Against Cancer

On June 24th, long-time RPCN member Dave Bassett will be taking a 3-hour shift in the 2023 11-Day Power Play which is an eleven-day marathon hockey game which annually takes place in Buffalo at the HSBC Arena to raise money for Charities devoted to Fighting Cancer and other Health and Wellness Initiatives. Dave will be taking a 3-hour shift playing for Jabs for Life - FLY with JJ a team which is raising money in honor of Jason Jablonski, a 21-year-old man that passed away from cancer a few years ago.

Donations raised will benefit cutting-edge cancer research and wellness programs at Roswell Park, Camp Good Days, Make-A-Wish Western New York, and The Roswell Park and Oishei Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Program. In the past four years, The 11 Day Power Play has raised more than $8.4 million for cancer causes in the Western New York community. The goal for this year is to raise $1.6 million and they are halfway to reaching that goal.

Dave has set a personal goal of raising $500 and is intent on meeting or even exceeding it! Please consider making a donation today. No donation is too small, and every dollar adds up to something greater than any one of us could accomplish alone. To donate, please visit my fundraising page at https://communityshift.11daypowerplay.com/daveb OR please send a check made out to The 11 Day Power Play to PO Box 4, Buffalo, NY 14223. Kindly include a note directing your 100% tax-deductible donation toward my goal.

Together, we can continue to make an impact in the search for a cure, and better the lives of those living with cancer. Thank you for your support!

RPCN Video

Watch the introductory video here.

Upcoming RPCN Events

Visit the RPCN website for a list of all upcoming events.

Speed Networking via Zoom with the Consulting Alliance
Thursday, June 1, 2023
4:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Technical Forum
In-Person or Virtually
Friday, June 2, 2023
8:00 - 9:30 a.m. 

A Brief Introduction to Patenting Inventions
Presented by Dave Bassett
In-Person or Virtually
Friday, June 9, 2023
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Enhancing Human Capital Lunch N' Learn
Building Trust THROUGH Trusting
Thursday, June 15, 2023
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Business Forum
In-Person or Virtually
Friday, June 16, 2023
8:00 - 9:30 a.m. 

RPCN Board Meeting
Everyone is welcome to attend.
In-Person or Virtually
Friday, June 16, 2023
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Wanna Make Six Figures? It's Your Mindset and Approach!
Presented by Beth Sears
In-Person or Virtually
Friday, June 23, 2023
8:00 - 9:30 a.m.

Did You Know
Links for Consultants

Did you know that the RPCN website has a menu item leading to a fascinating list of links of possible interest to us as consultants? To access this area of the website, click on Resources and then select Links from the menu. Here is the introductory statement from that page:

“The sites below may be useful to consultants in the greater Rochester region. However, due to the vast number of resources available, this list is meant to only be a starting point. Please note that a site's inclusion on this list does not constitute endorsement by RPCN.” 

Are you intrigued yet? The links in this list are listed in groups as follows:

• Small Business Resources: You should really take a look here. This is an extensive list of ways to improve your business.
• Networking/Professional Groups: This list can help consultants locate groups of people with similar business interests.
• Chambers of Commerce: Chambers of Commerce can be a great resource for consultants. RPCN is a member of the Greece Chamber of Commerce.
• Local, State, and Federal Government: When you have a question for the government, you can find the right contact here.
• Local News: For your convenience, all the local news outlets are on this list.
• Useful Tools: This is a list of several miscellaneous tools that are worth checking out.

Altogether, there are dozens of links in this list. Many are groups or organizations that we sometimes think of but have never looked at their websites. Others can be surprises that can lead to useful information and, ultimately, more business.

—Steve Royal

Volunteer Opportunities

Member Outreach Volunteers

The RPCN Membership Committee is looking for members who enjoy expanding their connections and learning about other industries. We are looking for two Member Outreach Volunteers. The Membership Committee has been increasing our interactions with members in several new ways, and the first area where we could benefit from additional hands (and ears) is to learn about the current business goals of your fellow members. If you’re a curious type, you will easily discover the keys that the member believes will be critical to their success, any potential challenges the member can foresee, and how RPCN may be able to help. Your minimum time investment would be just 30 minutes a week and should never exceed three hours a month.

Interested, curious? Reach out to the RPCN Membership Chair, Tom Fecteau, tfecteau@epicventuresgroup.net or 315.447.0425 for more details.

RPCN Board Secretary

We have an opening for someone (or a couple people) that would like to get more involved with RPCN. It’s not a huge commitment, just one meeting each month and a bit of typing.

Are you interested? GREAT!

We need someone willing to attend the Board meetings on the 3rd Friday of each month from 10am until noon to take notes and create the Minutes for the meeting. It’s not hard work, and you get to be directly involved in the Board discussions.

If you’re interested and are willing to help out, please contact David Finger, current RPCN President, at computergardener@gmail.com for more details.

We want your news!

Request from the Editors

When submitting material to be included in the RPCN newsletter, please:
1. Send the submission TO newsletter@rochesterconsultants.org and not to individuals.
2. Include the words “For RPCN Newsletter” in the subject line. (Some people send articles to ALL RPCN members themselves, and it is often difficult to distinguish those that are being circulated independently from those intended for inclusion in the newsletter.)